It's been a rough couple of years for Chelsea Football Club, a couple of years that have seen them stuck in midtable mediocrity despite spending absurd amounts of money on promising young players.
That said, Todd Boehly and Co have also recouped a reasonably sizeable sum of money through player sales in that time, although one Frank Lampard signing has yet to be sold.
The star's value has plunged in recent years and is now worth even less than Trevoh Chalobah.
Hakim Ziyech's time at Chelsea
Yes, the flop in question is Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech, who agreed to join Lampard's Blues in a £33m deal in February 2020 before moving to the club a few months later.
There was a lot of excitement around the deal, as the Dronten-born ace had been scintillating for Ajax in the years prior. For example, in the 2019/20 campaign, he scored nine goals and provided 20 assists in 35 appearances.
However, his brilliant form didn't carry over to England, and in his first season in Blue, he returned just six goals and four assists in 39 appearances and missed 14 games through injury.
While his second season at Stamford Bridge was not bad, it was just as underwhelming as his first. In 44 games, the 5 foot 11 wideman scored eight goals and provided six assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 3.1 games.
Unfortunately for all involved, it wasn't third time lucky, as the 2022/23 campaign saw the left-footed ace lose his place in the first team and return his worst haul yet: just three assists in 24 appearances.
Season
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23
Appearances
39
44
24
Goals
6
8
0
Assists
4
6
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.25
0.31
0.12
At this point, it was crystal clear that the former Ajax star had no future with the Pensioners.
After a permanent move away from the team failed to materialise in the summer, he was sent to Galatasaray on loan, where it would be fair to say things have gone from bad to worse.
Hakim Ziyech's valuation this season
It really has been a disaster of a season for the 31-year-old this year.
A succession of injuries has seen him miss a whopping 26 games for club and country, and when he has played, he has once again been underwhelming.
Appearances
17
Goals
4
Assists
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.41
The tricky winger has made 17 appearances for the Turkish giants so far, in which he has scored four goals and provided three assists, a return that has done little for his valuation.
In fact, the player who once cost the Blues £33m is now valued at just €9.5m by Transfermarkt, which converts to around £8m, or a £25m loss.
The 60-capped international is now worth even less than the injury-prone Chalobah, who has made just eight first-team appearances under Pochettino this season. Transfermarkt values the defender at €13m, which is around £11m, or £3m more than the once dynamic winger.
Ultimately, with just a year left on Ziyech's Chelsea contract at the end of this season, the club simply must sell him this summer and get what they can for a player who has been a flop in west London.
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